Cruelty in Of Mice And Men Essay

Capturing Cruelty in the Opening Scene of John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men

The English author and historian Edward Gibbon once wrote that, The works of man are impotent to the assaults of nature. Nowhere is this philosophical perspective better captured than in the John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men. The novel tells the story of two migrant agricultural workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, during the Great Depression in 1930s California. A central theme in the novel is mans cruelty to one another and how it drives them to hurt other human beings as in the case of Curleys viscous attack on the mentally-handicapped Lennie. In the opening scene of John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men, the author establishes a contrast between innocence and cruelty through the use of expansive descriptions of nature, symbolism and characterization. This opening dichotomy is vital to an understanding of the theme of cruelty and the larger structure of the novel in light of its violent and disturbing end.

In the beginning passages of the novel, the reader encounters dramatic idyllic imagery of a riverbed in rural California. The scene is described as a winding tree-lined creekat the foot of golden foothill slopes" where, The Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green. The water is warm too, for it has slipped twinkling over the yellow sands in the sunlight before reaching the narrow pool. The author continues to detail the physical beauty of the area but begins to describe nature as if it were an active agent, The evening of a hot day started the little wind tomove among the leaves, and The shade climbed upthe hillstoward the top. Through descriptions such as these a picture of untrammeled innocent nature that is free of man-made intervention is forged by the author. Furthermore, through focusing on the physical beauty of nature the ugliness of mans actions is highlighted in regards to the deeds perpetrated later in the novel. To provide a contrasting example from the end of the work, Steinbeck writes in the final scene, The crash of the shot rolled upthe hillsand rolled down again. In this sentence we see no flowery adjectives like the opening scenes golden foothill slopes or the river running deep and green but only a single noun: hills. In short, by the end of the novel nature has stopped being an actor and transitioned to being a passive agent letting the violent actions of mankind roll over it uncontested. This fits into the larger theme of the novel regarding cruelty and how the actions of men not only corrupt themselves but the world around them.

The opening scene of the novel is also remarkable for its use of symbolism to drive home the novels larger theme of cruelty and its effects. We see George describe in the opening scene his idealized farm, the few acres of nature where they will grow their own food and escape from the cruelty of the world. This is a major symbol in the novel as the dream of developing the land, of spoiling its natural beauty, is used to seduce the characters and lead them into temptation. Though introduced in the opening paragraph, characters throughout the entire book are drawn to its physical beauty and idyllic appeal from Candy to the cynical Crooks. A paradise for those who want to be in control of their own lives, the farm represents the possibility of freedom, self-reliance and safety from the cruelties of the world. Yet, it is during a detailed description of this dreamed of farm that Curley attacks Lennie and later that the novel climaxes with George shooting his friend and relative Lennie in the head. Ultimately, it is mans actions that destroy the possibility of the farm. This serves a larger symbolic role in Steinbecks work in exposing how humanitys corrupt ways are what leads to cruelty in the world even if the acts are as small as Curleys disdainful insults to the act of murder itself. The symbolism of the dreamed of farm introduced in the opening passage is what drives the story arc but also encapsulates the moral message of the novel through its loss.

Lastly, Steinbeck, in Of Mice and Mens opening scene, expands on the novels central theme of cruelty by introducing us to the characters: Lennie Small and George Milton. Lennie a large, mentally disabled animal-loving migrant laborer who is innocent of his surroundings struggles to understand his own strength and the complexities of the ranch and will eventually be lied to, nearly lynched and ultimately shot through the back of the head. It will be through the unintended actions and demise of this pure goodness that the author will demonstrate the other more characters cruelty via their actions. From the opening scene onward, it is important to note that Lennie is described by the author like an animal, ...and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws, and, You'd drink out of a gutter if you was thirsty, and lastly, Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached, drew back, approached again. This characterization is intential and helps create within Lennie a character who is innocent, free of cruelty and unlike the other characters. In contrast, George is the leader of the tandem and it is in him that Lennie puts his childlike trust. At the beginning of the novel he holds onto the dream of raising money to buy a farm by the end the he is corrupted by the actions of the world around him. Ultimately it is George who betrays the guileless Lennie and cruelly murders him to advance and be accepted by the men on the farm. This contrast introduced in the opening scene of the novel pitches Lennies unflinching belief in the goodness of people versus Georges growing cynicism which is epitomized by George telling Lennie at the conclusion of the book that, Nobody never gets to heaven and nobody get no land. Characterization such as this is vital to any novel but Steinbeck adroitly uses the contrast introduced in the opening scene between his two main characters to immediately create a moral compass for the rest of the novel.

In conclusion, in Of Mice and Mens opening scene John Steinbeck artfully employs vivid natural imagery, symbolism and characterization to establish a thematic framework that will carry through the remainder of the novel. The authors focus on uncontaminated subjects such as the beauty of undeveloped nature, the symbol of Georges and Lennies dreamed of farm and Lennies character trait of animal/child-like innocence dovetails with the actions of the other characters who plot and scheme and ultimately kill in order to get by in the world. This is a powerful message and one that is not drilled into the readers consciousness but is even more effective for the gradual impression it makes on the reader upon further reflection. Of Mice and Men is a timeless work of literature whose staying power is partially explained by its message of compassion and understanding in the face of cruelty.